Change the Oct. 1,1998 date and allow teachers in low income schools with loans prior to 1998 loan forgiveness.

The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program is a wonderful program for new teachers, but discriminates against Highly Qualified Veteran Teachers. The program allows teachers that are highly qualified with five consecutive years of teaching and serving low income families to have up to $17,500 of their student loan forgiven as long as the student loan is after Oct. 1, 1998. This program does not allow Highly Qualified teachers teaching in poverty schools with loans prior to Oct. 1, 1998 to have part of their student loan forgiven each year. This petition is asking that the date be removed and allow ALL highly qualified teachers to have a portion of their student loan forgiven each year too.